


Hannibal Rewatch

by LazyBaker



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Domestic, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Pining, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 10:22:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6980353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyBaker/pseuds/LazyBaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spanning the entire series with one chapter per episode and focusing on Will and Hannibal's relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aperitif

**Author's Note:**

> Updated Weekly (hopefully) 
> 
> For more info on the rewatch [click here](http://granpappy-winchester.tumblr.com/hannibal-rewatch).

After his conversation with Jack, Hannibal waited ten minutes outside of Will’s classroom for the end of his lecture. Students shuffled out, but many lingered, waiting for a chance to talk to ‘Professor Graham’. Hannibal used this moment to slide inside the lecture hall unnoticed.

Will did not appear to be comfortable answering questions in person. He avoided eye contact and kept himself brief, but plain spoken. Most likely he relied on the gift of email for anything lengthier than a quick response.

The last student left, running back to her group of friends waiting for her at the entrance. Her cheeks were a bright red. 

“What are you doing here? Did Jack send you?” Will didn’t look at him. He was shoving papers into his bag. He wasn’t pleased.

Hannibal smiled and shook his head. “I wanted to apologize for my less than uncouth manner of ambush.”

“But not the ambush itself.”

Hannibal clasped his hands in front of him. “I’m sorry, Will. It wasn’t how I would have liked our relationship to start.”

Will sighed heavily, bracing himself on the desk in front of him. He glanced up at Hannibal with a small and tired smile.

“It’s fine. I doubt it was your idea.”

“No, but I did take part in it.”

Will snorted. “You’re awfully polite, aren’t you?”

“I find good manners are a matter of life and death,” Hannibal said lightly. Will shot him an odd look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://granpappy-winchester.tumblr.com/)


	2. Amuse-Bouche

Will hadn’t been expecting Hannibal’s office to be so nice and he wasn’t expecting to see Hannibal in a suit that was so form fitting it was clear it had been sewn and tailored just for him.

Hannibal was clean shaven and his hair was perfectly slicked back, with only a strand or two loose despite it being the end of his work day.

He looked so different from the warm sweaters and loafers and the slight scruff of his five o’clock shadow. Will wondered where the man he’d met only twice had gone and then was confused by just how deep Hannibal had left an impression on him.

“It’s good to see you, Will,” Hannibal said, closing the door after Will and motioning for him to make his way deeper into the room. He greeted Will with a genuine smile. Will tried and failed to reciprocate, his stomach in knots and nerves making his palms sweat.

He wiped his hands on the insides of his jacket pockets.

Will looked around the office. The high ceilings, the walls lined with books and artifacts and art that Will knew right away were original.

Ornate and cultured. Expensive. This was not the office of a man who wore cozy sweaters and didn’t shave for a day.

Will looked over his shoulder, looked at the paisley of Hannibal’s tie that was lying neatly against his barrel chest, the pristine press of his suit.

This was Hannibal at his most comfortable. This was the suit he wore like a second skin.

 _You look different_ , Will thought. He didn’t want to let Hannibal know he liked the softness from before that was lacking severely in the sharp lines of him now. It would be too telling.

He searched the room, saw the two chairs facing each other and knew he wouldn’t be able to bear such a direct line of attack. He ambled around the outskirts, Hannibal quiet and watching him, letting Will be. He read the titles of the books he passed, not retaining any of them.

His feet reached the ladder, he touched one of the rungs and climbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://granpappy-winchester.tumblr.com/)


	3. Potage

Will slammed the door to Hannibal’s Bentley just a little too hard. He winced, breathing heavily through his nose. 

“That went well,” Hannibal said lightly, starting the car. Will didn’t feel his eyes on him, the heady weight absent. A moment of privacy, then, with the one foot separating them. It was generous of him. Kind, even.

Will snorted hard enough to make himself cough. _Well_. That wasn’t the word he’d used.

“She hates me,” Will said. Hannibal’s seatbelt clicked loudly, Will hurriedly reached for his own. “And then Freddie– _Freddie Lounds_.” Will spat her name out. _Freddie Goddamn Lounds_ , her name was an insult dredged up from the very bottom of the tabloids.

“You’re being too hard on yourself, Will,” Hannibal had both hands on the wheel, preparing to make the drive back to Quantico. He was looking at Will now. “Given the circumstances, it wasn’t a horrible outcome.”

“Abigail thinks I’m insane.”

“That’s under the presumption she believed Miss Lounds,” Hannibal smiled, small and warm. Will looked out the side window and tried to evade Hannibal’s reflection too. “And I think dear Abigail is a little smarter than that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://granpappy-winchester.tumblr.com/)


	4. Œuf

Wet from his shower, Will curled up on the motel bed. The mattress was stiff with no give and felt good on his back.  
  
He looked at the painting above his bed, a red boat on a calm ocean. Every room on the floor would have the same one. Over the years Will had learned that motels rarely varied. A ship, a flower, whatever non-offensive slightly abstract image that could be hung up for cheap–he liked it.  
  
He turned the television on, clicking through the channels and found Jeopardy and lowered the volume, appreciating the background noise. It was quiet enough that he could hear the general sounds and unable to parse out the words. It was good to be able to zone out.  
  
Will’s cellphone vibrated. It was a picture of his dogs asleep, all in their beds sent from Hannibal. It made him smile. His family was fine. Not that he’d been worried.  
  
He hesitated, thumbs hovering over the keyboard and wondering if he should reply. Hannibal probably didn’t expect him to.  
  
He could tell him about the crime scene and how his head felt like bursting. Or worse, giving him the olive branch that was in the form of his mother or lack of mother and mothering and parental figures in general that was being hammered home with this case. 

The image of staying up all night texting with _Dr. Lecter_ was entertaining enough that Will was tempted and he was sure Hannibal would humor him.  
  
His phone vibrated again.   
  
' _Goodnight, Will._ ’  
  
Two simple little words somehow managed to send a spike of warmth to his chest. Too tired and half asleep he didn’t think much as to why that was.

He stared at the text until his phone went to sleep, the letters still floating in his vision like a pleasant burn. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://granpappy-winchester.tumblr.com/)


	5. Coquilles

The coffee had thawed Will, he felt oddly sated. Comfortable, even.

Hannibal walked Will to his front door then told him to wait, leaving Will to shuffle his feet and avoid looking too closely at the antler themed decor. He felt like a child, one who was used to abrasiveness and was now being coddled with kindness. He still found the process overwhelmingly awkward and too new to take any enjoyment out of it.

He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets and directed his glare to his shoes.

His feet were still sore. He’d soaked them in a bath of hot water after his one-sided call with Jack. Jack being an interesting combination of quiet and reprimanding and concern. He’d sat on the lip of the tub drying his feet for ten minutes before he’d driven to Hannibal’s house. Ten minutes of denial and wondering if Hannibal would be awake or not to even see him.

“Here.” Hannibal came back carrying a small blue thermal bag and held it out for Will to take. “A late breakfast. Or lunch or whenever you decide to give in to your empty stomach.” Hannibal said it kindly and Will didn’t bother asking why he thought that. Will took the bag, going from embarrassed to grateful at the truth of it. “I should warn you, it’s only leftovers. I didn’t have time to cook you something fresh.”

Will wanted to unzip the bag and peak inside. He held back. “This is more than–You’ve really…” Will trailed off. A hysterical blush creeping up his neck. “You have _leftovers_?”

Hannibal smiled. “I do,” he said patiently. “My freezer would be quite the shock for you.” Will laughed. It was startling and woke him up. “Are you sure you can’t stay? I don’t have any appointments until the afternoon.”

The prospect of spending an entire morning with Hannibal shouldn’t have been so attractive. _He also shouldn’t be offering_ , Will thought. Boundaries a distant term thrown out along with his privacy and solitude. 

He shook his head. “I should go,” then added stilted and unbearably sincere. “Thank you, Doctor Lecter.”

Hannibal bowed his head, the fringe of his hear falling in front of his eyes only to be swept away by elegant fingers. Will looked away. It was just one of those mornings.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://granpappy-winchester.tumblr.com/)


	6. Entrée

It was not uncommon or common for Hannibal’s patients to call him well passed his work hours or in the very early hours of the morning. When it did happen, it was for an emergency.

It was ten minutes to midnight. He was half-way through washing the dishes that had accumulated from his dinner with Frederick and Alana and he had an entire glass of wine sitting at his elbow waiting to be savored.

He picked it up with his soapy hand and took a sip when his phone rang.

Drying his hands he prepared for an emergency but saw Will’s name flashing up at him and grinned. There was an unfamiliar light fluttering in his chest as he answered.

“Hello, Will,” Hannibal said and perhaps he’d had a glass too many because he purred Will’s name with much too much warmth to be appropriate.

“Chilton is an ass,” Will said, surprising a laugh from Hannibal. “Sorry,” Will added quickly, embarrassed.

“I take it your meeting with him didn’t go well?” Hannibal took his wine and moved to sit in the arm chair in the corner of the kitchen.

“It went.” Will sounded tired and as though he was hunched over his desk with a tumbler of whiskey in hand and had stared at the amber liquid for far longer than anyone should. Hannibal closed his eyes and pictured the slight furrow of Will’s brow and how exhausted he must have felt to have reached out and called Hannibal.

Hannibal sipped his wine, smiling. “He can be a bit much.”

“He’s an idiot.”

“I don’t think an idiot would keep you up so late.” Though it would suit Frederick to be remarkable in this area. “Would you rather talk about your interview with the Ripper?”

Will snorted. The flutter intensified. His chest thrumming.

“Gideon’s not the Ripper and, no, I don’t think I can take analyzing either of them after half a bottle of whiskey.” Will laughed. “I probably should have lied about that.”

“I would have known. I’m very good at recognizing fibs,” Hannibal hesitated before going on. “Would it be rude of me to ask how often you indulge in your whiskey?”

“You’ll ask about my mother, but my drinking is where you’ll draw the etiquette line?”

“This fruit is a bit higher up the tree.”

Will made an agreeable sound. “Only if I can ask you too. I’m guessing you’re a wine guy.”

“You’re quite agreeable tonight, Will.”

“And you’re _quite_ good at changing the subject. So quick, Doctor Lecter.” Hannibal could hear his grin. They both sipped at their drinks though Will was finishing off his glass in one large gulp. It clinked hard when he set it down. “I’m tired.”

“Go to bed.” It would deprive him of a somewhat cheery and talkative tipsy Will Graham, but there would be other times.

“Not like that. Well, yes like that, but not _that_.”

Hannibal hummed. “Take tomorrow off. Spend time with your dogs. Nap. Eat at least three meals. And something sweet. I cannot stress the last one enough.”

“That actually sounds nice.”

“Will you?”

“Probably not.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://granpappy-winchester.tumblr.com/)


	7. Sorbet

Will parked his car three houses down from Hannibal’s. 

Will didn’t think about it and he never spoke about it. To anyone. Ever. He was sure if he did or if he was caught he’d burn a hole right through his car and the asphalt and the damn Earth itself from the embarrassment of what he was doing and continued to do for the third time in a week despite his usually unfailing common sense and how plain creepy it would look to anyone and everyone including himself.

He rested his head on the steering wheel and stared out at Hannibal’s home and the one light on the second floor. His bedroom most likely. Or maybe the bathroom. 

Hannibal seemed like the kind of guy who enjoyed a late-night soak. 

Deftly, Will shifted his focus to the street and the cars and the people who owned them. Thinking of Hannibal in the bath–naked–was a little too much to add to the borderline stalking Will was already neck deep in. Though he preferred to think of it as unofficial security detail.

It had started from an offhanded comment after one of their conversations. 

‘ _Sometimes I feel like I’m being watched_.’

Even now Will was uncertain if Hannibal had meant what he said or was allowing Will to not feel so alone in his own paranoia. It was silly. Hannibal wouldn’t make comments like that lightly. Maybe he expected Will to come and check things out. Having an ex-cop as a not-patient and a maybe-friend had its advantages. 

 _Idiot_. He was losing it. And he couldn’t stop picturing Hannibal in his robe sans his suit-esque pajamas. Wet, mussed hair and all. His skin would be hot from the water.

Will groaned loudly and deeply, letting the incredulity he had for himself and his actions right then claw its way out of his chest. He felt only slightly better.

He didn’t know what he was doing or why and he had no excuse–no blackouts–to blame this all on. He did it and he was still doing it and he knew he would probably be here tomorrow night because it felt good to assume a protective position over someone he genuinely liked. 

Across the street something moved. 

It was fourteen minutes passed eleven and in this kind of neighborhood no one would be taking the trash out. 

Will stilled and surveyed the area and spotted another man in a red slightly dented sedan looking back at him. Embarrassment at being seen was the last thing on Will’s mind. That sedan was not a car anyone who lived on this street would own and they would not be sitting in it in the middle of the night. 

Adrenaline swept through Will and his hands shook as he got out of his car and half-ran to confront this man. The closer he got the more he could see and in the two strides left he recognized him. 

Will had seen him leave Hannibal’s office before. A patient.

With a sort of controlled swiftness he hadn’t used since New Orleans, Will pulled out his ID that very clearly read FBI on the heading and slammed it against the sedan’s window, making the man jump. 

Will motioned for him to roll his window down, which he did without any fuss. 

“You’re Will Graham.” He had his hands poised in the surrender position, shaking slightly. 

Will paled. Already he was feeling his control on this confrontation slipping.

“And you are?” He said, dryly. He would not let his panic show. 

“Franklyn Froideveaux.” Franklyn was twitching, eyes skittering from Will to Hannibal’s house as if he expected Hannibal to come striding out to save him. 

Nervous. An obsessive patient. Probably in love or what he thought was love. 

“Do you want to tell me why you’re out here at eleven o’clock, Franklyn?”

“I’m visiting a friend.” Will stared and Franklyn saw that Will wasn’t believing him so he puffed up slightly, indignant. Spiteful, even. “The same reason you’re here.”

“And what reason would that be?”

“Well–”

“I was asked to be here, Franklyn.” Will lied. Franklyn deflated and Will tried not to feel too happy about it.

“I just–” Franklyn sighed, hands lowering to grip the steering wheel. “I don’t have a lot of friends and, well–” He fumbled. “Dr. Lecter is so classy and perfect and we like the same cheeses and I just thought,” he trailed off and looked up at Will, eyes glistening from the street lights. “I like him.”

Will nodded. It was all too easy to fall in line with Franklyn’s thought process. Lonely and wanting a friend and Hannibal seemed almost too good to exist. 

_I like him._

“Hannibal is very likable,” Will said. _Very, very likable_. 

“And so handsome.”

“That too.”

“I thought maybe if I surprised him–” Will stopped him, shaking his head.

“There’s no good way for this to end for you, Franklyn.” Will wondered if all of Hannibal’s patients fell for him this hard. If that was just the effect he had on people. “You can’t do this. He’s your doctor not your friend. It’s not right.”

Franklyn had some sense left in him to not protest. He bowed his head and Will felt a swell of pity for him and for himself. He shouldn’t be here either. 

Will rubbed at the crook of his neck and closed his eyes, releasing some of the tension. The drive back would be a long one, but he’d be dead tired and maybe sleep better that way.

 _First Franklyn then bed_. The best idea he’d had in weeks.

Straightening up Will looked over the hood and on the other side of the car stood Hannibal, his robe tied around his waist looking curiously at him. 

Will dropped his keys and his ID, cursing with his damn heart beating its way out of his body. He could hear Franklyn gasp. 

He hadn’t heard Hannibal approach. Hadn’t seen him. _Jesus Christ_.

Hannibal peered inside the car. “We’ll be speaking about this in our next appointment. Goodnight, Franklyn.” Hannibal said sternly. It had the tone of finality that a death warrant carried. 

There was a moment where no one moved. Will running high off of his second shock of adrenaline. Hannibal waiting for Franklyn. Franklyn too mortified to move just yet.

But then he did and Will had to hurry off to the side so as not to have one of his feet run over. He and Hannibal watched Franklyn round the corner and waited for the sound of the sedan to fully disappear. 

Hannibal turned to him. Will didn’t have any idea of what he could say.

“This was quite the surprise,” Hannibal said in a much warmer tone coming closer to Will. He was barefoot–bones stark against his skin, thick veins and callused. Probably why he was able to sneak up on them. Will wanted to give Hannibal his shoes and lecture him on all the horrible things that could have happened to him by going around confronting people half naked at night. “I was going to give him a referral at some point, but I suppose I should do it sooner.”

“You should probably move.” It was like being in a different reality. He didn’t know what the hell he should say or why Hannibal wasn’t telling him to _go home now_ like he’d done with Franklyn. 

Hannibal brushed the hair out of his eyes. Will looked away, flushed.

“Franklyn is harmless.” Hannibal smiled at him. Will didn’t even attempt to return it. “Thank you for protecting me, Will.”

“I–” Will stopped. Took a breath. “Why aren’t you asking me why I’m here?”

Hannibal shrugged. “You’re my friend. If the sight of my house gives you some comfort, I would never deny you that. Though you are welcomed to come in rather than sit out in the cold.”

Will opened his mouth to say _something_ but he couldn’t figure out what. _Thank you_ would be too simple. _You’re crazier than I am_ just sounded like an insult. Mostly he wanted to ask what kind of friends Hannibal had that _this_ would be normal for him.

Hannibal gestured towards his house. “Would you like a nightcap?”

“I should probably head back home.”

“Will.” Hannibal closed the gap between them even more and Will let him. He could smell the floral scent of the soap he’d used. “Your dogs are warm and in their beds and I have a guest room with a very comfortable mattress. Let me repay you for protecting me.”

Will swallowed thickly. “You don’t have to.”

“I want to.” Hannibal placed his hand on Will’s shoulder, his touch light and burning a hole through Will’s entire being. “Let me?”

He said it so plainly and sincerely with an implicit trust that Will would follow through and accept his invitation, just this once. 

Will stared at Hannibal’s toes, pale and vulnerable looking against the harshness of the asphalt and knew he wasn’t going anywhere.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://granpappy-winchester.tumblr.com/)


End file.
